The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-11-04
PURE JAPANESE TEA
How the Fragrant Leaf IL Planted, Drown,
Picked and Cured.


According TO a Yokohama correspond
ent Of the Seattle( w. IT, Post inteiiig0icer
the foreigners residing in Japan are the
chief exporters OF tea. They have largo
curing houses at the seaports where they
reside. The tea leaf partly cured is
bought from japanese producers or their
agents. Although the tea plant is the
same, there are various grades Of leaf.
The younger the leaf the firmer the tea
so the Japanese say. The soil and
particular locality also affect the flavor.
In their curing houses the foreign ex-
porters put the leaf through recurring
process. II is dried in metal pots heated
by charcoal. To what extent IL may be
fixed up to suit the foreign markets is
not generally known, but | fancy that
few who drink the tea imagine that 1t
contains Prussian blue. This is combined
with another powder, tine name of which
is unknown to the writer. The mixture
Is sprinkled over the leaf during the pro
cess OF curing Why is this donef II
gives the tea whitish, uncolored blue.
Foreign drinkers have dread Of green
tea. They imagine that 1t has been
colored by chemicals or cured over cop
per. The trush is that the tea leaf when
cured apart from all metals and chem
icals has greenish cast. The darker the
color. the stronger the tea. have taken
the trouble to visit the tea orchards in
the suburbs OF Toxic and 10 inspect the
native mode of curing. The tea plant, as
it Is called, is really bush OF very hard
wood. To what height it would grow II
left untriinmed l am not able to say. 1t
is seldom seen over three feet high. 1t
is an evergreen. The leaf resembles in
shape that Of the salad bush. When the
L.. H., raanhaI MATURITY which iG MT
until after several years, it flowers AMI
produces round seed about the size OF a
cherry. These seeds are planted in rows
a suitable distance apart and the bushes
thinned out and trimmed as they in
crease in size. They do not prosper If
transplanted. The soil best adapted to
the bush is a clayey one sufficiently
elevated to cast off any excess OF mois-
ture. There is general impression that
the tea bush requires warm climate.
Such Is not the case. II will grow wher-
ever any other hard wood tree will
prosper. 1t is my opinion that it would
do well in certain localities in Washing
ton Territory
The river bottoms and marsh land
would hardly suit it, but see no reason
| why it might not be cultivated elsewhere.
| 1t would not be advisable to plant it in
| cheaper from Japan than Americans can
produce it. But as an ornamental tree,
| or as an evergreen hedge around yard,
| it would be both beautiful and novel;
The process of gathering the leaf is
tedious one, but the work is made more
enlivening by many persons working to-
| gether. The pickers are mostly women
| and children. AS they pick they talk,
| laugh and sing They are paid accord
| ing to the weight of the leaves picked.
Seldom is more than ten cents per day
earned and that without boarI. The
| leaves are first washed and then steamed.
| The steaming process must be done with
care, as the flavor OF the leaf is liable to
be affected The steamed leaves are put
| in pans made with wooden sides and
thick, rough Japanese paper bottoms.
These pans are about two and bali by
four feet in size. Beneath them is a
charcoal fire, regulated so as to produc,
the required amount of heat. A mar
stands at each pan. AS the leaf dries, h,
rubs and rolls it in his hands. To assis
in this process, he has a. board upoi
which he places handful OF the tougl
leaves, and with a rolling pin double
and twists them up. Nothing in tn
shape of chemicals is put on the leaf.
is left to assume its natural color, whicl
is of a greenish cast After siftin,
through coarse cane selves, to extract tn,
powdered leaf, the light colored tea i
picked out. 1t is sold cheaper than tn
darker colored.
Why should not such teas be sold b
foreign countries? 1t is perfectly pur
but has not the peculiar odor character
istic Of mostly exported tea. 1t has no
been doctored to suit the fanciful foreigl
taste, but Japanese like it. Foreigl
cured teas are considered by them muel
inferior to teas cured in their own method
Did tea drinkers in foreign countrie
have both kinds, would not they to-
prefer the native cured 1t may be aske,
why Japanese do not export their owl
teas? They are beginning to do SC
Several native companies have bee
formed for the export of teas to foreig
lands. Heretofore japanese have nc
besn sufficiently familiar with foreig
trade to justify them in dealing directl
with merchants abroad. Now, alter year
OF experience and education, they fee
prepared to transact direct trade. Agent
are abroad in Europe and America study
ing the foreign markets. To handle te
for the foreign markets requires larg
capital and close scrutiny oil the flu tus
ton OF prices The competition is larg'
and sometimes the profits small. Thei
is no doubt but that adulteration of te
is practieed. But this is partly owing
consumers. They need not expect
get pure, good tasting teas at triflin
cost, Let them pay few more cents p,
pound and get the genuine native-cure
article.
| /.